Browsing Tag

Japanese City Pop

Tokyo’s Sumi has made her dark electronic debut with the hooky anxiety exposition, Closing In

Tokyo-based singer-songwriter Sumi made a strong debut with her dark electro-pop single, Closing in. By utilising metaphors that expose the most insidious aspects of anxiety in the imaginatively amalgamated soundscape that blends her sonic roots into the contemporary moody pop trends, Sumi became one of the most promisingly individual artists on the airwaves.

The emotions in Closing In may be intimately inspired, but in 2022, Sumi is speaking for the masses as we battle with the sharp claws of imposter syndrome and the claustrophobia of reality closing in, leaving our dreams in the rubble of the cortisol spikes.

Before making her solo debut, during her stint in LA, Sumi played with several bands and collaborated with artists and producers to create songs on network shows such as Naked and Afraid, Teen Titans Go and the Ellen Degeneres Show. We can’t wait to see how far her solo career takes her.

Closing In was officially released on September 21st and is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bad Wolf peeks behind closed doors in his latest nu-disco single, ‘Curfew at the Disco’

While plenty of us sulked about the inaccessibility of dancefloors and lack of like-minded community, Philippines-based artist and producer Bad Wolf imagined what went on behind closed doors while creating his latest melodically tropic single, Curfew at the Disco.

After the release of his debut single, If I Can Make You Dance, in January 2021, he was scouted by MojoHeadz Records and inspired to release at least ten new singles in 2021. Based on Curfew at the Disco, we can expect plenty more soul-oozing DAW-created grooves from the artist who is quickly becoming renowned for painting with metropolitan strokes and with kaleidoscopically urban colour.

Curfew at the Disco unravels as a mix of euphoria-evoking nu-disco and roots deep techno that allows Bad Wolf to invite you into his imagination where you can explore the intimacy of the house parties which happened while dancefloors and venues gathered dust. The air of hedonist rebellion runs right through Curfew at the Disco, right next to the influence from indie dance and 80s Japanese City pop.

Curfew at the Disco officially released on May 3rd; you can check it out for yourselves via SoundCloud. Connect with Bad Wolf via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast